Shoppers are now being invited to check with their own eyes that what something is labeled is what they actually eat.
Consumers can punch in a 10-digit identification number on the price tags of domestic beef, and a computer screen will show a scanned copy of a certificate showing the animal's breeding history and that the cow from which the beef came is free of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
In an experiment started in February at its Yamatotsuruma outlet in Kanagawa Prefecture, Aeon Co., which runs the Jusco supermarket chain nationwide, has introduced a comprehensive tracking system with which consumers can trace food products back to their producers, with information on the distribution route they have taken before reaching their shopping cart.